Disappointing

It would seem as if we made a rookie mistake with James' entry into the Funny Car Design Contest.  Yesterday, he was solidly in the third spot, but by the time the competition ended yesterday afternoon, he had been bumped entirely out of the top five by people who had saved their ammunition for the end of the fight.  Hence his design will not have a chance to be chosen for painting on Bob Tasca's funny car. A design to which, I might add, Bob Tasca himself donated.  I wasn't supposed to announce this yesterday, because Christi didn't want to violate his confidence, but screw it.  The driver liked James' design and donated to support it.  Take from that what you will.  

Sigh. This is such a bummer. 

Still, I am very happy we were able to raise over $2300 for JDRF, which is truly a great organization, devoted to finding a cure for Type I diabetes.  A significant chunk of that sum was due to the overwhelming generosity of devoted Cake Eater reader, Russ from Winterset, and his promotion of James' cause to the morons over at Ace of Spades, who generously gave of their spare cash to help out.  We thank all of thee.  You're a great group of people.  Seriously.  Now you can get back to burnishing your street cred by bashing some hobos and sucking down the Val-U-Rite Discount Vodka.  I won't tell anyone your deep dark secret of helping a ten-year-old find a cure for his disease.  It's safe with me.  I promise.  And a huge helping of thanks should go to the ewok in charge of the joint, Ace, for putting up with it.  You're a good egg, dude.  I know, I know.  You don't want anyone to know.  But it's out there.  Pfft.  Deal with it.  

But...

...it would have been so super-duper, freakin' fantastically cool to have played a small part in sending James on the trip of a lifetime, which, in some small way, might have been a decent consolation prize for all the shots, finger sticks, and denied Halloween candy he's had to cope with over his short life.  The kid has put up with a lot, simply because his pancreas crapped out on him.  And he's turned out to be such a great kid, too, because of, and in spite of, all he had placed on his tiny shoulders a week after his third birthday.  I'm very proud to have James as my nephew. 

I'm a fortunate auntie: I have a prodigious number of nieces and nephews.  Over twenty, in fact.  It's been interesting to watch them on their road to adulthood, to see the lessons they learn, and to see how they tackle the challenges life presents them.  Objectively speaking, they're a pretty extraordinary bunch, on the whole, who have taken the privileges they've been granted and have made the most of them.  Sometimes I'm even jealous at the opportunites they've been able to take part, because I sure as hell never had what they had.  The instances where certain nieces and nephews have pissed away what they've been given are far and few between, which, given your average teenager these days, is pretty extraordinary.  Given that observation, James, even though he's ten, has truly risen to the challenges with which he's been presented, and I find that amazing.  If I was him, I'd still probably be ranting and raving over the unfairness of it all.  But he doesn't.  This is not to say he hasn't had his moments, because he has---and who can blame him?---but he's pretty much over it. Nowadays he deals...and he deals well.  He's pretty much in charge of his care now, and he's the one who sticks his finger during testing now, and who makes sure his pump is doing what it should.  The kid has mad math skillz from having to manage his diabetes.  He's learned, partially through fundraising for JDRF, how to be an eloquent ten-year-old when he talks about his condition; he knows that people will be curious, and that they might ask questions, so he tries to put things in a positive light while never blowing off the severity of the situation.  He knows more about nutrition than most adults, and if he follows through with his current career plan, which is to be a chef, I'm sure he'll make tasty, healthy, pleasing food.

So given all this exceptionalism on James' part, you can understand why I'm bummed we couldn't get this done for him.  Alas, however, that's life. 

If James decides to enter the contest next year, you can bet your bottom dollar (which, of course, we WILL ask for at that point) we will not make the same mistake we made this year.  

Thanks to everyone for their extraordinary support.  You're a good group of people and I'm pleased to have you as devoted Cake Eater readers.